Bellingham (Images of America)

Bellingham is known as the city of subdued excitement, but it was not always this way. From its discovery by a British naval captain to its coal, lumber, and fish industries and to its riots and social movements, Bellingham has had quite a rich and sometimes controversial past. Starting out as four separate towns, it took the leadership of a few and the work of many to bring a community together and create one of Washington's secret masterpieces.